


Always Be My Thunder

by Hannyski



Category: Social Network (2010)
Genre: M/M, Summer School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-20
Updated: 2012-11-20
Packaged: 2017-11-19 03:53:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/568786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hannyski/pseuds/Hannyski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eduardo and Mark are at Harvard Summer School and feelings happen. Written for TSN Week 2012.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always Be My Thunder

Harvard Summer School – a place for wealthy high school kids, Ivy League bound next fall. Eduardo Saverin stands on the gravel, looking up at a large, prestigious building. He consults the map in his hand again, an angry red “x” drawn over his current location, inhales deeply, and walks in, knocking on the door nervously as he comes to Room 54B.

Receiving no answer, he pushes the door open, assuming his new room-mate for the next six weeks isn’t around yet. He stumbles over wires, muttering “shit” to himself as he spots a skinny kid sprawled over the bed pushed to one side of the wall, computer parts dotted around him. Eduardo has no idea that he has just met Mark Zuckerberg, technology whiz and future billionaire. Right now, he’s just some Jewish kid with a lot of technology equipment.

Mark watches Eduardo in the computer monitor, raising an eyebrow in greeting as Eduardo navigates the maze of wires strewn across the floor.

“I’m Eduardo.” 

Mark grunts his name in reply, engrossed in typing strings of random characters onto a black screen.

“So… you’re into that whole computer thing?” Eduardo asks, sitting on the other bed carefully and smoothing his slacks. Mark shrugs, tapping away to an erratic rhythm. Silence falls over the two boys, and Eduardo is beginning to wonder if he can still change room assignments to find a less strange companion. Mark suddenly sits bolt upright and laughs, the computer screen flashing in brilliant colours in front of him. In this moment, Eduardo realises that Mark’s laugh is the best sound he’s ever heard – free and joyful and contagious. It makes him want to laugh too.

“What? What is it?” He walks to the bed and leans over Mark’s shoulder. The screen is gibberish to him, but exclamation points and warning boxes are everywhere.

“I just hacked Harvard’s main server!” Mark announces proudly, lying back on his elbows.

“Why?” Eduardo asks, shocked.

“Because.” Mark shrugs, the smile falling off his face at this challenge to his behaviour. “Just… wanted to.”

Eduardo says the same thing when he kisses Mark a few weeks later. They’re sharing a bottle of gin that Eduardo stashed in his suitcase from his dad’s liquor cabinet and lying on the carpet next to each other, the same as they have every night. There’s not much to do at summer school after the whole learning part is over for the day, and Mark spends most of the lectures staring into space anyway.

“Why don’t we go and hang out with the others? I think they’re going to the student union…” Eduardo asks, sitting up suddenly and then wincing as the alcohol sloshes around in his empty stomach.

“Nah…” Mark says, rolling onto his side.

“Why not? I feel like all we do is hang out in here.”

“You’re here… I like you. I don’t like the others.” Mark responds quickly, his eyes flicking down.

Eduardo’s ears flush and he’s not sure why but he has to repeat it.

“You… like… me?”

“Yeah.” Mark shrugs. He’s a man of few words and an avid shrugger - Eduardo’s learnt this by now. They stare at each other for a long time and then Eduardo kisses him. He doesn’t know what compels him to do it. Mark tastes like gin and Mountain Dew and something that is far more intoxicating than anything that he’s ever stolen from his dad before. He’s just Mark. They pull away after a few seconds and silence hangs over them.

“I…” Mark begins.

“I just wanted to, okay? I just wanted to.”

“Okay.” Eduardo says, grabbing the bottle from Mark’s hands. “So what’s today’s technology lesson?”

They don’t kiss again until the last night in their dorm room. Eduardo has slowly drawn Mark out of his shell, and though they’re comfortable bumping hands or falling asleep next to each other, nobody wants to make another move.

“Mark. Mark. Wake up.” 2am and Eduardo’s crouching next to Mark’s bed, his chin resting on the mattress.

“Wardo? Go away.” Mark mutters, rolling over.

“MARK.” Eduardo hisses, louder.

“What do you want?”

“You.” Eduardo says simply, pulling back the covers and slipping into the small bed next to him. Their breath mingles.

“Wardo…” Mark groans. The Ed seems to have been lost from Eduardo’s name but right now he doesn’t mind because Mark is wonderful and he’s leaning in and pressing their lips together and Eduardo’s toes curl and he feels like he’s flying and he knows this is the closest approximation to love he’s ever known.

“I couldn’t sleep.” Eduardo whispers, hugging him tighter, running his fingers over Mark’s small frame under his thin shirt.

“It’s not goodbye.” Mark says firmly. “You and I will be here next year. Swear it. You’re the second smartest person here.” They both laugh and Eduardo presses his forehead against Mark’s.

“Next year. Here.” He twines their fingers together. “Us against the world.”


End file.
